Champions League talking points: Phil Jones and Paul Pogba with nights to forget, but Leroy Sane and Phil Foden shine December 12, 2018 In typical Jose Mourinho fashion, Manchester United’s manager hasn’t been shy lately in letting the public know about his side’s crippling injury problems. With Chris Smalling, Diogo Dalot, Luke Shaw and Matteo Darmian all absent, it was Antonio Valencia, Eric Bailly, Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo across the back four against Valencia. It’s fair to [...]
Team Sky: Cycling behemoth will leave behind conflicted image of success tinged by “damaging scepticism” December 12, 2018 It’s no wonder some see Team Sky as cycling’s bad guys. Their bus is nicknamed the “Death Star”, their employees wear black and they have conquered all in their path through heavy investment. The shock announcement that their media giant benefactor will pull the plug on its sponsorship at the end of the 2019 season [...]
Can CVC Capital Partners’ £230m investment into Premiership Rugby save loss-making English clubs? December 12, 2018 It may not quite have got over the line at this week’s board meeting but CVC Capital Partners’ prospective acquisition of a minority stake in Premiership Rugby now seems to be a question of when, not if – and then, what will it mean for a domestic game ailing financially? The most significant immediate change [...]
Talking points: Tottenham and Liverpool hold their nerve to reach Champions League last 16 December 11, 2018 Tottenham are used to having their nerve questioned but tonight in Barcelona they recovered from an early setback, regained composure and seized a deserved place in the Champions League last 16 that had looked beyond them halfway through the group stage. When Ousmane Dembele capitalised on the inexperience of Kyle Walker-Peters – the third-choice right-back [...]
Is snooker set for a big break? Why Ronnie O’Sullivan’s quit threats can help the sport future-proof itself December 11, 2018 Ronnie O’Sullivan’s victory at the UK Championship could hardly have reflected his talent, personality and the state of snooker any better. The 43-year-old eased past Mark Allen 10-6 in the final at York Barbican on Sunday evening, before pouring a bottle of water over his head in celebration and giving some lively quotes about entertaining [...]
Does winning your Champions League group make any difference make any difference to how far a team goes? December 11, 2018 With qualification for the last 16 long since sewn up like the seasoned Champions League veterans that they are, Manchester City and Manchester United could be forgiven for viewing Wednesday’s final group games as an unwanted additional burden in the busiest month of the season. Yet Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho, with two winners’ medals [...]
The seven trends in the digital sport world to look out for in 2019 December 11, 2018 This has been a transformative year for the digital sport landscape, from tech giants Amazon and Facebook making major rights acquisitions to a rise in behind-the-scenes and self-authored content. Here, Charlie Beall of consultancy Seven League assesses the trends that dominated 2018 and look set to shape the next 12 months. 1. Athletes becoming media As [...]
Sam Torrance: Louis Oosthuizen is a laid-back farmer who happens to be a brilliant golfer December 10, 2018 When Louis Oosthuizen announced his talent to the world by winning the Open Championship in 2010, he celebrated by buying a custom-built tractor for his farm back home in South Africa. That tells you a lot about Oosthuizen. He is a wonderful guy who is not desperately keen on fame, loves being at home on [...]
Tottenham’s trip to Barcelona may be a must-win match but the result isn’t everything for Spurs December 10, 2018 A trip to the home of the defining team of the 21st century, a chance to pull off one of the most famous triumphs in the club’s history, a shot at a kind of immortality; there is every reason for Tottenham to savour this week's Champions League fixture against Barcelona. The challenge is as steep [...]
We head out to Japan to explore the incredibly diverse contemporary arts scenes of Takamatsu, Naoshima and Kyoto December 7, 2018 Standing on the end of a pier on Naoshima island, superstar artist Yayoi Kusama’s giant spotted pumpkin stands as a testament to the success of Japanese contemporary art. The nation’s art scene is often reduced to stereotype – cherry blossom prints, blushing geishas, delicate rock gardens – but this island on the Inland Sea dispels [...]